I Got the Message!!

On October 16, 2023, we lost our beloved sister, Laura Falcone Falquero. The evening before she passed, we gathered in her hospital room for what turned out to be our last dinner together. At some point, Laurie said she wanted to come back as a duck. She loved swimming and being by the water.

Of course, at that point, we all decided to change our phone ringtones to the “quacking” sound. That has provided me with some enjoyable moments as I think of her every time my phone rings. It has also provided me with some entertainment. Recently, Scott and I were having dinner at a local restaurant and my phone rang. It was fun to watch the other patrons looking around in confusion. “They have a duck in here?” I heard one customer ask. Thanks for the giggle, Laurie!!

Last night I attended the wedding of my ex-sister-in-law, Kathy, to her new husband, Stephan. (Long story. Just suffice it to say that once you’re in our family, you can’t get out!) Anyway, my daughter, Meghan drove, and we arrived early enough in Branford to stop for a cup of coffee before the event.

As we sat in the Starbucks, the very same coffee shop Laurie frequented before she moved to Vermont, we raised our cups in a toast to her. I told Meghan about my friend Peri, who recently told me she often gets signs from loved ones who have passed. “Just say their name and tell them very clearly what you want to see,” instructed Peri.

I told Laurie we were sitting at her Starbucks thinking of her and that we would like to see a duck. Hey, you never know!

The ride to the wedding venue was uneventful. I saw a picture of a seagull on the wall of the Stony Creek Brewery building, but that doesn’t count. A sea gull is not a duck. Occasionally, during the wedding, the thought flew through my mind, waiting for my phone to ring. Nope.

Meghan and I got in the car for the ride home. It was 11:11 pm, so I doubted we’d see any ducks in the darkness. “Oh well,” I thought with a little sadness. “Guess no message from Laurie.”

This morning, Scott was emptying the goody-bag I brought home. “Here’s a little ducky for your tub,” I heard him say.

WHAT?

I jumped off the couch and went over to see what he was talking about. There, sitting on the counter, was a little, yellow rubber ducky! OMG! Who puts little rubber ducks in their wedding gift bags?

Thanks for the greeting, Laurie. We miss you every day, but little reminders like this help us feel that you’re never too far away.